14 yr old girl.....hair loss & bald spots PICTURES

Hi there,
I have been loosing my hair in great amounts for over two months now. I would like to give you the story on why i think it started. I was hospitalized for a severe (and very rare) allergic reaction called D.R.E.S.S syndrome (Drug Reaction (or Rash) with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) to a medication called sulfasalizine. I was in the hospital for 6 days and was put on high doses of prednisone ( a steroid). I was on prednisone for 4 months and came off of it on may 13. I started having hair loss in mid april, which is about three months from my sickness. Last week i was diagnosed by my dermatologist with Alopecia Areata. She has put me on protopic 0.1 %. I use it twice a day....I am desperate to try anything except steroids again because i had very unfortunate side affects to the prednisone (moon face, weight gain etc). It is very hard for me to go through this because I have natrually thin, blonde hair and it is getting even thinner by the day. I run my fingers through my hair and come out with 15 maybe 20 hairs... Does anyone know how long this will continue??
Thanks
Marina

Re: 14 yr old girl.....hair loss & bald spots PICTURES

I am sorry. I know it must be extremely hard at your age to go through this. If I were you I would try to find cosmetic options. Toppik is a nice concealer. There are toppers/ partial wigs. I hope everything works out. Hang in there!

Re: 14 yr old girl.....hair loss & bald spots PICTURES

marina,

you are such a brave and savy young lady to do research and seek this out on your own. i am so sorry that you have to go thru this. i wish i can answer your question but i don't know the answer. hopefully, someone here can help. i have a couple of thoughts:

1) do you like/trust your dermatologist?
2) are you seeing an endo?
3) do you have a parent/s helping you with this?

i will keep you in my good thoughts & prayers. please keep us posted.
mrm

Re: 14 yr old girl.....hair loss & bald spots PICTURES

With the trauma that you've had, I wouldn't be so quick to believe the dermatologist's diagnosis. The drugs or the stress could also be causing the hair loss, as the shed usually occurs about three months after an instigating event.

I had a terrible shed last fall, but it occurred almost three months after I quit taking too much hypothyroid medication. It had become hard to get from the manufacturer for some reason and my druggist volunteered to make it for me. Because it was the same dosage as ever, I didn't connect the dots but evidently (acc. to my doctor later -because the druggist didn't have quality controls) it was a much higher dose. I took it for about five months and was SO stressed out that I couldn't sleep at night and maybe I'd get two hours of sleep. I attributed that to the fact that I was going out of the country to teach and I was worried about getting ready. But I felt really horribly tense all the time. It wasn't until later that I put two and two together and cut waay down on the medication. But that didn't stop the shed because, from what I've heard and experienced, the hair responds to the stressful event or medication about three months afterwards, by shedding. Now, that hair that I shed has mostly grown back and the shedding has stopped. My hair is still bad, because i lost most of it when I went off estrogen after menopause and THAT hair hasn't come back. I'm back on estrogen and prometium. however, and that seems to be working so far, but I went so long without treating it, that I don't know whether or not to have hope that it will get any better than it this, which still isn't great but at least something positive is happening.

So, even though you may be experiencing hair loss -your other medical problems and stress a few months ago may be responsible.I would wait a few months and see if the shed stops. Use the Toppik in the meantime and get some cute hats and scarves. You are going to produce your own Estrogen, so it might just be a question of time and healing. If it doesn't come back, then get your Mom to take you to an Endocrinologist (especially if you can find one near you who specializes in hair loss).

I hope things work out for you. You are too young to have to deal with all this.

Re: 14 yr old girl.....hair loss & bald spots PICTURES

Hi & Welcome! Sorry you're here (if you know what I mean) but also glad you're here
Sorry I don't have many answers for you (especially how long it will last. I don't think anyone, medical or other hair loss sufferer could tell you that.)

I was wondering, though, why were you taking the sulfasalizine in the first place. Do you have another autoimmune disease? Crohn's disease or anything like that?

Your photos look to me like Alopecia Areata, like your dermatologist diagnosed. Especially that absolutely smooth spot behind your ear. A major physiological stress like you experienced could certainly be a trigger for AA. That stinks.

Some are suggesting an endocrinologist but I don't know why you'd be looking at hormonal causes unless you have other issues in that area (wonky periods, severe acne, things like that). What kind of doctor prescribed the sulfasalizine? A rheumatologist? Maybe he/she has some thoughts, if it's autoimmune...

Gosh, it sounds like I'm giving you the third degree here! Just trying to add some insight, not grill you.

Keep us posted. If it's AA, those spots could fill back in. It's very unpredictable.
Wishing you the best outcome,
J-A

Re: 14 yr old girl.....hair loss & bald spots PICTURES

hi everyone,
I was taking sulfasalizine because of arthritis (which i didnot have! physical therapy cured my back pain) They rheumatology dept at Stanford perscribed me the SS even after blood work and an MRI showed no signs of arthritis.

I have had bloodwork done and everything is normal, hormones, thyroid etc.